Raphael The Sistine Madonna, details of the Angels 1513-1514,. ANGELS IN ART. ANGELS. Angels have a long history in art. Look at the following slides and read all the information. When you have finished answer the questions at the end of the presentation. .

Copyright Complaint Adult Content Flag as Inappropriate

I am the owner, or an agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of the copyrighted work described.

Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author.While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server.

The sculptural image of the Classical/Hellenistic Greek winged Goddess Nike and her son Eros remain the historic and classical basis for Christian angel iconography used from the 1st century AD until modern times, having changed little over the last 2600 years. These Christian Icons, angels and cherubim, had their Greek and Roman counterparts before the Christian Era. The Greek and Roman tradition in the portrayal and use of the Nike/Victory icon were at least 6oo years old by the time Nike/victory was adopted by the Byzantine Church as the standard depiction of an angel.

The early Christian Church, particularly the Byzantine Church between 400 AD and 600 AD, was responsible for adapting and transmuting the Greek and Roman goddess imagery into the lexicon of Christian iconographies in angel art. It is my personal opinion that the development of Byzantine Angel Iconography was one of the most creative periods within the history of angel art bringing many new visual interpretations of angels to the forefront. For example the Iconographic development of the six winged angel image of the seraphim can be dated to the Byzantine period as well as many other imaginative adaptations.

This image of multiple winged human figures was not without precedent the idea was illustrated in Egypt as early as the 15th century BC and in Mesopotamia in the 9the century BC.

During the European middle ages of 1100-1500 AD angel imagery changed little from its Byzantine origins except for the individual artists style and talent. During the middle ages the literary context of the European culture became replete with angel lore in which stories about both Light and Dark Angels became the explanations for almost every natural phenomenon.

The Italian Renaissance saw the improvement of artistic techniques and the resurrection of lost art forms and classical themes particularly in sculpture but the basic angel images changed little from their Hellenistic Greek forms. Renaissance Italy was firmly implanted with the Greek and Roman influences in its preferences for its artistic imagery. This historic period was marked with a dramatic renewal in the arts and the application of the basic sciences and scientific procedures. The primary source for these influences were the Greek and Roman ancient world.

The die was cast for the conventions of Angel Iconography in the hellenistic Greek period and these remained consistent for hundreds of years and now for several millennia. The Baroque and Rococo periods of art found the heaven on earth theme taken to new levels of richness and complexity. This trend ended to a large degree with the humanistic French Revolution but continued to some degree until the early 20th century.

In Islamic tradition from at least the 14th century, the Buraq myth, combines elements of ancient depictions of griffins, sphinxes, and centaurs, as well as angels and became a favourite subject of Persian miniature painting. The story is of the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven. The mythological creature called the Buraq was depicted as Muhammad's means of access into heaven.

Not to be ignored are the Japanese artists who illustrated both benevolent and evil spirits in their art. The Japanese had a wonderful and matter of fact relationship with the spiritual world and this is reflected in their mythology and literature. One of the most poignant of these images is from the series "TsukiHyakushi" (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon) the maiden Iga-no-Tsubone encounters the ghost of Sasaki Kiyotaka. Walking the world as a troubled spirit he complained to her that he had been accused of conducting an ill fated military campaign and was forced to commit suicide. Tsubone calmly appeased him and he never appeared to her again. This encounter is illustrated in a way that is both beautiful and dramatic, one of the best designs of the One Hundred Aspects of the Moon series.

The romantic and Victorian Era created some of the most ostentatious contributions to the visions of angels with Queen Victoria's memorial, nothing has been done since that compares to her's and prince Albert's memorial.

The height of Romantic visions is represented by the Ascension of Mary Magdalene in the Church of the Magdalene in Paris France. Created by Carlos Marochetti who also did the facade on the Arc de Triumph and queen Victoria's Memorial all prominently featuring romanticized angel images.

The trend toward the ostentatious mostly ended with the humanistic French Revolution and the introduction of more scientific paradigms of thinking. However the Victorian era proved once again that you can flaunt it if you have it regardless of good taste and common sense.

Upon examination little changed in basic angel iconography during the period from Hellenistic Greek representations of Nike to the Romantic Era except for the wider application of the basic visual concepts to additional literary and religious themes. The basic concept was used in all subsequent periods of European Art. This trend continued and found the reconstituted classical image applied to interests in mythological, historic and Biblical themes. The imagery was nearly universally accepted and applied by different artists according to local tastes and individual style. However the accepted concept of what represents an angel had its roots with the Hellenistic Greeks and has had a run of popular acceptance for an amazing 2500 years.

"

Romantic imagery from 19th century artist Herbert James Draper "The Lament to Icarus

In conclusion: Although the basic angel image, a winged human figure, has undergone the transmutations and changes of culture, context, language, religion, literature and commercialization for the singular sake of selling feminine lingerie, through six millennia of human history the visual effect of this concept remains consistent through time. The winged human figure still has the power to create wonder, awe and inspiration, which is an extraordinary and valuable testament to the universal and timeless appeal and power of the visual arts.

Mirka Mora is one of Melbourne's best known and loved artists. Since the early 1950s when she and her husband Georges immigrated to Australia from France, she has contributed to Melbourne's transformation from quiet, provincial town to sophisticated, multicultural city. Her early training was in mime and drama, but painting was her focus by the time she reached Australia. Close friends of other committed artists and patrons, including John and Sunday Reed, Charles and Barbara Blackman, Barrett Reid, John Perceval, Laurence Hope, Arthur Boyd and Joy Hester, Mirka and Georges were instrumental in the re-establishment of the Contemporary Art Society in Melbourne from 1953. They also helped bring European-style dining to 1950s Melbourne, opening the Mirka Café in Exhibition Street, the Balzac in East Melbourne (the first Melbourne restaurant to receive a 10pm liquor licence) and finally Tolarno in St Kilda. Mirka's numerous public artworks including mosaic murals at Flinders Street Station and St Kilda Pier, and a painted tram, have helped enliven the city, and her bohemian style and joie de vivre have endeared her to Melburnians from all walks of life.

Mirka's fifty years of creative energy have resulted in a prolific output of work across a range of media - drawing, painting, embroidery, soft sculpture, mosaics and doll-making. Her colourful, sensuous iconography has emerged from the breadth of her interests and reading, her love of classical mythology, her desire to reclaim and make sense of childhood and familial relations, and her recognition of the power of sexual desire.

Her autobiography, Wicked but Virtuous, was published by Penguin in 2000. A second book, Love and Clutter, also published by Penguin is due to be released in November 2003.

Awards/Exhibitions

Mirka has had around thirty-five solo exhibitions since 1956, including a retrospective exhibition of fifty years of her work at Heide Museum of Modern Art in 1999-2000. She was made Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2002.

Do a visual analysis of these angels by describing the main elements of design that the artist has used eg have they used colour, line, shape/form, texture or tone? Explain where you see these elements in the art work. (if you wish you may identify these elements by using arrows)

Has the artist used these elements to create balance, harmony, contrast, movement in the artwork. Explain your choice.

Why did the artist make each of these art works of angels

Where is their original location? Eg temple or church? Outside or inside a building? In a book?

Who were they made for and who was supposed to see them?

Identify the earliest portrayal of an angel from the images you have seen..

Can you find any earlier depictions of angels?

List at least 4 roles that an angel performed in the angels from different cultures.

Choose at least 2 angels that you like and explain why you chose them. Identify them by artist, title date and medium used (that means what is it made from? Oil painting, water colour, bronze, marble etc

Do a simple sketch of the angels or copy an image of them and answer the next questions. You can use arrows to identify the parts of the art work you are discussing.